Happy New Year! Reflections on 2025 and Looking Ahead
I hope you all had a wonderful start to the New Year and were able to spend meaningful time with family, friends, and loved ones. As we step into 2026, I’ve been reflecting on 2025. A year that further deepened our conviction that the most impactful investing happens at the intersection of capital, community, and genuine ecosystem building.
Last year was one of strong momentum and clarity. Together, we continued to empower purpose-driven founders to generate both exceptional market value and meaningful global impact. By investing deeply in the ecosystems that surround our founders, we ensure their success compounds into lasting value for our investors, our partners, and the world alike. Thank you for your continued trust and partnership throughout 2025.
Building Virtuous Ecosystems
One of the most meaningful themes of 2025 was our focus on virtuous ecosystems—intentionally building environments where return and reward flow both ways.
I am especially grateful to Lily Jin, who originally ideated this approach and led two key initiatives in the final quarter of the year. Lily designed these efforts to create a virtuous cycle where investing deeply in communities strengthens founders, partners, portfolio companies, and LPs in tandem. Her vision and execution were instrumental in bringing the following initiatives to life.
Impact at Columbia University
On November 21, we were proud to sponsor the 007 Partner Ventures Impact Award at the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health’s Fast-Pitch Competition.
Out of 15 impressive healthcare innovators, we recognised Brendan Stec and Routerr Health an AI-driven logistics platform enabling at-home acute care. Routerr is a strong example of the meaningful problems we seek to support. Brendan is currently targeting his first customer pilot this spring.
We are also deeply integrating with the Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) ecosystem to help bridge the gap between academic innovation and market success. This access provides our founders with a rare pathway to clinical validation and high-level commercialisation support.
Reflecting our long-term commitment to this bridge, we are bringing on a Junior Partner dedicated to ecosystem-building efforts, turning institutional access into a distinct and durable competitive advantage for our portfolio.
📸 Congratulations Brendan! 🎉👏✨
(Image: Columbia Mailman Fast-Pitch Competition)
Insights from Hong Kong
In November, we hosted an intimate gathering in Hong Kong alongside our portfolio company Digistain, bringing together founders, investors, and partners at The Park Lane Hong Kong.
The evening sparked candid discussions on the realities of scaling regulated technologies across Asia and the importance of designing global exit pathways from day one. A few insights stood out:
The Payment Bottleneck
The decisive question is often not “Is the science good?” but “Who pays, and on what basis?” In healthcare, payers mediate scale; in software, the market itself is the judge. Without clear payment pathways, even strong technology struggles to grow.
Geography as a Design Variable
The strongest teams treat geography as a design input, not an afterthought—often starting in lighter-touch jurisdictions to build proof points before expanding into more heavily regulated markets.
Addressing Structural Distortions
Asian innovation is frequently discounted not because the technology is weak, but because buyer and exit pathways are unclear. Founders need investors who can help design capital-market and exit strategies—not just provide capital.
📸 What a beautiful group of people and skyline at The Park Lane Hong Kong 🌆✨
Looking Ahead to 2026
As we move into 2026, our focus is on disciplined execution and thoughtful expansion. A few areas we are particularly excited about:
Building enduring, long-term virtuous ecosystems
We’re doubling down in a select number of key cities including San Francisco, New York, and Sydney to deepen relationships, better connect our communities, and intentionally cultivate ecosystems where founders, operators, and partners actively support one another.
Hiring and developing talent
We’re excited to welcome two Junior Partners through our partnerships with Columbia University and the University of Arkansas (Sam Walton AI for Retail Junior Partner Programme), strengthening our bench while investing in the next generation of investors.
Expanding across APAC
We look forward to backing more exceptional businesses across the APAC region as we continue supporting founders building globally meaningful companies.
We’ll also be sharing updates as several portfolio companies begin to take off—there is strong momentum heading into the year ahead.
Thank you again for being part of this journey with us.
Here’s to a focused, impactful, and exciting 2026.